The Selection without America?

Beauty In The Broken

Aspen's POV

I lay on the hospital bed and I feel so tired. I knew I hurt America. That wasn't my intention. I still love her dearly and I don't want to lose her. Then there's Lucy. I have grown to love Lucy if not almost than as much as I love America.

People always tell you that it's not all about how long you've known the person, it's more like it is how well you know them. Over the past year and a half I have felt America slipping through my fingers. Every time she talks to me I don't feel a connection anymore.

Lucy. With Lucy I feel a strong pull. The first time Lucy and I kissed I felt so guilty. Then we started seeing each other. Even though America and I wrote almost everyday I felt like she more wrote just because I was living in the same building as Maxon.

Maxon and I have become acquaintances, but that's all it has been. Maxon asks how America is about once a week and I need to ask him how he's been for America. I hate what the selection last year has done with America and my relationship. Before we were so close. We almost had a wonderful marriage, and now look at us. We have a oblivious relationship. We don't talk about the important things anymore.

"Aspen!! Are you alright?" Lucy calls rushing over to me.

"Yeah I'm fine it's just my arm." I say and try to smile up at her.

"I'm sorry I left earlier it's just that America was here and I- I just didn't know what to do. So I left." She looks embarrassed for leaving.

"No it's fine I would have done the same. I don't know what to say or do to get America to just listen to us. I mean I am almost positive that she has feelings for Maxon." I state and she kisses me gently.

"Wow. Love triangle there." She says pulling away.

"More like a love rectangle." I laugh a little even though none of it is funny at all.

"Yeah. To break it down It's I like you. Wait no let me rephrase that. I love you. You are married to America. America loves Maxon. Maxon is engaged to Kriss. Bang. There that is a little confusing." List says looking up and laughing.

"Yeah I guess it is. People really are confusing aren't they?" I state and she doesn't say anything for a little bit.

"No. People aren't the ones that are confusing... it's the feelings and emotions that are confusing." Lucy says and looks right into my eyes.

I take my arm that wasn't shot and put it up to her cheek. This was why I loved her. "Lucy, this is why I love you so much." I restated but out loud this time.

"I love you too." She says and tears start to well up in her eyes. I run her cheek.

"What's wrong darling?" I ask wiping away her tears.

"What have we gotten ourselves into Aspen? I mean America won't talk to us ever again, besides to tell you she's getting a divorce from you. Maxon loves America so since we hurt her Maxon is going to have us hung and then everyone in the palace will look down at our relationship and-" I cut her off because she was starting to sob.

"Shhhh Lucy. Darling. Everything will be alright. I promise. America will come around. I just know it. I know America." I say trying to convince her. And myself. I did know America once upon a Time. The question now is... do I still know the same America?

~•~

America's POV

I walk around the garden feeling zen. The peaceful breeze, the birds chirping, the sound of bushes rustling because of the squirrels. Just everything. Everything feels right out here and I try to convince myself everything is right back in the castle which I know it's not. Maybe it will be alright once again in the near future. Or it might never be right. Who knows?

"Was that the southern rebels or you guys? You know you left so many of MY guards injured or even DEAD! I can't believe you didn't tell me about this. This was the worst and bloodiest attack on the castle yet! And the fact you didn't tell me. Ugh. I just can't believe it!" Silence. The person was on the phone and the other person was talking.

"As long as you promise to tell me next time. I'll make sure the Queen is not safe and so you have access to her." Another pause.

"Oh no worries I hate her too. She likes that America girl that I truly despise." Pause.

Then the voice that I could hear described me in words I don't even want to say. Let me PG it for you, it went something like this.

"Yeah That America is such a dirty (female dog) and I wish she would just die in a hole. She's such a player and I bet she even cheated on her husband Aspen when she was back in Carolina. She is such a (garden tool) I wish I could just slap her in the face. That fake piece of (poop). But what I don't think she understands is that I won. I am the winner. I won the throne, the prince, the power, the money, and no one understands that I. Kriss Ambers am a northern rebel. Well you know what I say to that? (F) her. (F) everyone. I couldn't give a (bridge over water) about them. Well besides my Maxon. Everyone besides Maxon and I can go rot in (the underworld) see if I care."

There's more silence. Kriss sighs and I see her click her phone meaning she ended the call. She then looks around the garden and she plucks a red rose from the garden-which I know Amberly hates- and she smashes it on the ground. Then she picks up a white one and smashes that one too. She keeps on doing that till there is about ten dead roses on the ground. All looking a brown color from the mixing. Finally she leaves in a hurry and races towards the door.

I slowly get out from behind a bush that I was hiding in and crouch down and slowly pick up the petals of the flowers she smashed. There was beauty even in the broken and dead.

Hello! I hope you guys are enjoying!! Please comment what you guys think! I love to read your comments some make me laugh so much and others give me ideas for the next chapter. Without you guys I would have totally forgotten Kriss was a rebel and this would have gone a totally different direction. I hope you all liked when I did my own kind of hints for the swear words. I know that the selection is kind of a teen sort of book so I didn't know how many people who are reading this know/use swear words so I didn't use any. I don't swear that much myself so I didn't swear in here. Also how did you like seeing Aspen's point of view. I liked writing it because it actually made me think "What is aspen thinking? What does he think of America and Maxon?" Comment a POV you would like to see me write in. I know in the first part I didn't do much switching of POVs besides Maxon and America, but now I feel like we should have more variety. I will still mainly have Maxon and America's POV though.

Also please vote on this chapter it would mean the world to me! I love getting out of school each day to see what you guys comment and how much you guys vote on it. It basically makes my day!

I will post on 6/5/18

Spoiler: America tells Maxon about Kriss.